The Gorgany are the wildest part of the Ukrainian Carpathians, a range of sandstone peaks rising above dense forests in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. What makes them unusual are the gorgany themselves, the fields of loose stone blocks that cover the upper slopes and summits, formed by frost shattering the rock. Walking across them is slow and tiring, and the forests below, of spruce, beech and Swiss stone pine, are among the most pristine in Ukraine, with brown bears, wolves, lynx and red deer. The Gorgany nature reserve protects a part of this landscape.
The village of Bystrytsya lies at the edge of the range, in the valley of the Bystrytsia Nadvirnianska river, about four kilometres from the site. It is a quiet place, with wooden houses and a church, and forestry roads that lead into the mountains. Yaremche, about twenty kilometres away, is the main tourist town of the area, known for its waterfall on the Prut river, its wooden church and its market selling Hutsul crafts, wool, cheeses and honey.
The Hutsuls are the highland people of the Ukrainian Carpathians, known for their distinctive culture, music, wood carving, embroidery and the trembita, a long wooden horn used to communicate across the mountains. Their traditions are still alive in villages around Yaremche, Verkhovyna and Kosiv.
A realistic word about travel: Ukraine is at war, under martial law, and much official travel advice warns against all travel to the country. Even in the west, far from the front line, air raids happen, curfews apply and regulations can change quickly. If you are considering a visit, check the latest official advice, your insurance and the entry rules first. In peacetime, the roads from Ivano-Frankivsk to Yaremche and Bukovel are good, while mountain roads are rough and often unpaved. Fuel is available in towns such as Nadvirna and Yaremche, and the best season is summer, when the forests are green and the mountain meadows are in flower.